Setup: Defining Your Timezone and Date Format

Your workspace timezone and date format settings control how RapidPro.app displays dates/times across the UI—and how scheduled items (like campaign events, reminders, and timeouts) are interpreted. Setting them correctly prevents “off-by-hours” scheduling mistakes and reduces confusion when multiple teams review the same data. In this guide, you’ll learn how to update your workspace timezone and date format, confirm the change worked, and avoid common issues—especially when your team operates across countries or you import/export data with dates.
Reading time
5–6 min read
Category
Getting Started
Scope
Updated on: 17/12/2025

Set your timezone and date format in minutes

If you just need the fast path, follow this:

  1. Open Workspace settings (gear icon)
  2. Go to Timezone & Date Format settings
  3. Select the correct timezone for your workspace
  4. Choose your date format (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY) and save
  5. Verify the change on a scheduled item (campaign/event/message)
  6. Align your team and imports to avoid date confusion

You’re done. Your workspace will now display and interpret dates/times consistently across the UI.

Step-by-Step Process

1
Open Workspace settings
  1. Log in to your RapidPro.app workspace.
  2. In the left sidebar, click the Settings gear icon to open Workspace settings.

[CAPTURE: Left sidebar with the Settings (gear) icon highlighted.]

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Tip: If you manage multiple workspaces (demo vs production), confirm you’re in the correct workspace before changing global settings.

2
Find the timezone and date format settings
  1. In Workspace settings, locate the section for Timezone and Date format.
  2. Open the page/panel where these settings can be edited.

[CAPTURE: Workspace settings menu showing the “Timezone” / “Date format” entry selected.]

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Technical Detail: Workspace settings affect scheduling, reporting timestamps, and how dates are displayed across the interface for everyone in that workspace.

3
Set the correct workspace timezone
  1. Find the Timezone dropdown (or selector).
  2. Select the timezone your operations should follow (typically where your team/program runs).
  3. Confirm the selection is correct before saving.

[CAPTURE: Timezone dropdown opened with a timezone selected.]

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Warning: Changing the timezone can shift how scheduled events appear (and may change when future schedules run). Review upcoming campaign events and scheduled messages after updating.
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Tip: If your program spans multiple countries, pick one “source of truth” timezone (often HQ or national program timezone) to keep scheduling consistent.

4
Choose your date format and save
  1. Find the Date format setting (examples: DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY).
  2. Select the format your team and audience will use most consistently.
  3. Click Save (or equivalent) to apply the change.

[CAPTURE: Date format selector showing DD/MM/YYYY selected, with a Save button visible.]

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Warning: If your team imports contact data with dates (CSV/Excel) or collects dates from users, a mismatched format can cause day/month swaps (e.g., 03/04/2025).
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Technical Detail: A consistent date format reduces ambiguity in reporting, campaign reference dates, and any workflow that depends on date fields.

5
Verify the change using a real scheduling screen
  1. Open a feature that displays dates/times, such as:
    • Campaign events (scheduled messages/flows)
    • Scheduled messages
    • Recent logs where timestamps appear
  2. Confirm that:
    • The time matches the expected timezone
    • The date displays in the format you selected

[CAPTURE: A scheduling screen showing dates/times in the updated timezone and chosen date format.]

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Tip: If you can, create a small test schedule (a reminder/event) and verify it shows the exact intended local time before relying on it at scale.

6
Prevent team and data confusion going forward
  1. Tell your team what the workspace “standard” is (timezone + date format).
  2. When collecting dates from users in flows, always specify the format in the message (example: DD/MM/YYYY).
  3. When importing/exporting spreadsheets, ensure date columns match the same convention.

[CAPTURE: A flow message example that specifies the expected date format (DD/MM/YYYY) and a sample date.]

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Warning: Spreadsheet tools may auto-convert dates depending on your computer locale. Always double-check imported date fields after a bulk import.

Common Issues & Quick Fixes

Problem: My scheduled events are running at the “wrong time”.

Fix: Confirm the workspace timezone is correct, then re-check the schedule times. If you recently changed the timezone, review upcoming campaign events and adjust times if needed.

Problem: Dates look confusing (example: 03/04/2025) and my team interprets them differently.

Fix: Standardize the workspace date format (DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY) and document it internally. In flows, always show the expected format plus one example date.

Problem: Imported contact date fields are swapped (day/month) after upload.

Fix: Check the date format used in your import file and make sure it matches the workspace standard. Re-import after correcting the source file format (or convert dates to an unambiguous format before importing).

Problem: I can’t find the timezone/date settings in Workspace settings.

Fix: Confirm your role has admin-level permissions for workspace settings. If you still can’t see it, ask an admin to update the settings (or contact support if the menu is restricted in your environment).

Problem: Some timestamps still look “off” in reports or exports.

Fix: Refresh the page and re-check. Then verify which screen you’re viewing (some exports/logs may show standardized timestamps). If the mismatch persists, capture screenshots of the settings + the screen and share them with support.

Related Resources
Settings Overview: The Core of Your Workspace
Scheduling: Launching a Flow on a Specific Date or Recurring Basis
Content Basics: Character Limits and Counter